“There’s something about arriving in new cities, wandering empty streets with no destination. I will never lose the love for the arriving, but I’m born to leave.”
Charlotte Eriksson, Empty Roads & Broken Bottles; in search for The Great Perhaps
Sites/Topics covered in this post:
- Photo collage of Paris streets
Go-Date: Day 137, Saturday, June 8
According to Paul McQueen, in 2017, “There are more than 6,100 roads in the city of Paris and you can rank them any number of ways: by age, length, average property price, and even, subjectively, by beauty. But none of that means anything if they’re not especially fun places to hang out. Below are some of the most happening streets in the French capital.”
Of course, there are the well-known boulevards in Paris that you must see like the Champs Elysées, Place de la Concorde, Rue De La Huchette, Rue Du Chat Qui Pêche (in the Latin Quarter), and Rue de la Roquette in the Marais neighborhood, but honestly almost every street in this city hides surprises for you around every corner.
You can stroll up and down the Canal Saint-Martin, which is an area rich in history and people-watching potential. I’m not sure if the real estate is less expensive around here, or if it’s just trendy for young Parisians. The canal is peaceful and beautiful and there are always people strolling its banks most days and nights. It has all the great bars and restaurants that you’d expect, and lots of concept stores and boutiques for women and men that are interesting and not at all like the big box chains. They do tend to be a bit pricey, though.
Over by the canal is the Rue Oberkampf. One square, the one by the Café Charbon and the intersection with the Rue Saint-Maur, attracts attention due to Le Mur, an association-managed wall which is repainted every few weeks by local artists. The Rue Oberkampf is also the place to head for a grungy sort of night out, with numerous quirky bars and music venues.
We like to take the metro to a site or museum and after our visit, just walk. It doesn’t matter which direction, though we generally point ourselves towards our apartment and simply stroll the streets until we get back to home base, or get tired and find another metro station. This town is like New York City in that there are metro stations almost every few blocks. You can navigate yourselves everywhere using public transportation.
Over by the Picasso Museum, Rue Vieille du Temple in the Marais is known as Paris’ LGBTQ quarter but, the old architecture, off-beat cafés, and interesting mix of people make this area one of Ellen’s and my favorites. The Rue Vieille du Temple and the Rue des Archives are the two main roads which cut through the heart of the neighborhood. This is also where Mmozza….! Italian Café is located and one of our favorites.
Over in our apartment’s neck of the woods is the Rue des Martyrs is one of those streets which is what you would term a transitional neighborhood which is now the place to see and be seen. This steep slope between the 9th and 18th arrondissements is the backbone of the South Pigalle district, where you can pick up any type of sex toy that crosses your mind, get a table dance, spend an evening in the Moulin Rogue, or just hang out in a sidewalk tavern for an interesting evening. We didn’t pick up any toys. In fact, looking at some of them I’m not even sure how they work.
Another of our other favorite neighborhoods is Montmartre. It climbs up a hill to the Sacre Cour giving you a stunning view of Paris, lots of bars and cafés, a lot of artists, and just a wonderful place to wander around. If I were to move to Paris, this neighborhood might be my first pick to find an apartment (if I could find one I could afford). After all, if it works for Picasso or Ernest Hemmingway it should work for me as well.
If you want a change of pace from 17th century architecture and lots of limestone and concrete you should try Parc Montsouris. Luxembourg Gardens is where most visitors pay a visit to in the center of the Latin Quarter, I’ve got a spot where you won’t find a single tour bus parked. As for the locals, you won’t find them in a spot crawling with tourists, you’ll find them in the eden-like Parc Montsouris. This huge park, hidden among apartments with no museum or attraction close by has its own lake, pony rides, trails, and sprawling lawns perfect for a Parisian picnic. This is not the only beautiful park in Paris, as it boasts many parks and gardens, each with their own charm, explore the parks of Paris when you want to get away from the crowds and have a Parisian Ahhhhhhh moment.
